Wolves
by Houyoku
Summary: [FE67] [Incomplete] The winter has spread hunger across the lands. The Sacaen herds have fled the cold, forcing the tribes move along the harsh landscape of the plains. The Dark Flame of old has returned.


****

Wolves

By Becki

Fire Emblem

-----------------------------------------

All characters and ideas rightfully

belong to **Nintendo** and **Intelligent**

systems.

-----------------------------------------

__

The writer's Ramblings

Okay, so I did decide to post something. This is something I've been working on long before school ended last year, and I just couldn't get it to keep going. But I really want to finish this, so I thought that I would make it multi-chaptered rather than a one-shot like I had planned. It is very unlikely that it'll be completed anytime soon, so I know I should be killed for posting it now when an update won't come soon. What I hoped to accomplish was to see this sometime in the future and get inspired to continue it.

Anyways, this is mostly from Sue's point of view, but it does change constantly to other members of the tribe. Yes, it is with the RathxLyn pairing (I don't necessarily like it, but I don't hate it either. It's just one of those pairings that seems like Intelligent Systems was hinting towards.) And since I love Rath so much, I decided to write this a long time ago.

So, I hope you enjoy this poorly written, pointless, partially completed (what's with all the alliteration all of the sudden..?) fanfiction. Thanks for reading..

Becki

* * *

Sue was ten when the sudden famine struck the fertile fields of Sacae. Each day she waited by the gates housing the horses, standing with her feet on the wooden fence. She stared over the snow covered fields and the green mountains in the lack of light, watching the high-flying birds swarm the sky. She waited for the hunters to come, with their impressive steeds and long slender bows. The sound of their jingling reins filtered through the vapor breathed into the air. Every day, they brought less and less meat for the tribe, with ladened hearts but stern faces. She watched silently as the men and women dismounted their horses, and with hands heavy with disappointment pat the beast's neck, drawing complementing words to them.

She saw her father among the hunters. It was the habitual routine. Every afternoon as she waited by the fence, her father would come, leading his great silver horse by an ornamented bridle. His face would be unperturbed, and he would draw his cloak closer to his neck, his eyes pensive and unfathomable. He would touch her head and she would stare up at him, her dark eyes meeting his. It was a relationship where words were unnecessary. Father and daughter conversed with each other by understanding their movements and the lack of expression on their faces.

The Chief Dayan also noticed the depleting herds from which they hunted. He was a well-respected man, and even in his old age, he was declared the fiercest warrior in all of Sacae. Because of his well known reputation and notorious leadership, he was thus dubbed the Silver Wolf. Such a name was uttered with the greatest most reverence, second to the names of the gods themselves. Sue opened her ears to the uneasiness of the camp. She noticed how her father and mother spoke so quietly to each other, and she saw that despite the impassiveness of her grandfather's face, the Silver Wolf was concerned.

One morning when Sue awoke earlier than the sun, she saw her mother slide a her sword into the sheathe by her side. Her mother was still young and beautiful, her hair was a dark color comparable to the ocean of grass in the evening. Her face was slightly troubled. Unlike her husband and father-in-law, she had not yet mastered the stoicism they shared.

The ger was empty save for the mother and daughter. Sue trailed her eyes across the room to see her father's spot empty, the blankets folded up against the mat. The dying embers of the fire blazed as glowing stones, the smoke rising like frail ribbons.

When she noticed that Sue had awoken, her mother turned an emerald gaze towards the girl. Following the short silence, the woman knelt on the soft furs and kissed her daughter's forehead. Sue could feel her mother's shallow breath, and hesitance whispered to her in that breath.

"It is still early," her mother whispered, brushing the hair away from her daughter's eyes. "Sleep a little longer. Your father and I are going out for a ride. Be a good girl and listen to your grandfather." Promptly after these words, she arose and left the ger, the cloth hanging down to cover the door rippling in the movement.

Sue slowly crawled to the door, and raised the cloth just enough so she could see outside. Cold wind rushed into the warm room, blazing against her face. Her long hair streamed into her squinting eyes while her hand raised to shield away the blowing snow. As night melted into morning, her eyes adjusted so she could see the silhouettes of her parents. Her father had prepared two horses, and the two riders spoke inaudible words to each other. The girl watched the pair mount their steeds and kick them into a run across the plains away from the camp, the snow flying behind in their wake. Then she dropped the cloth.

When the sun was hours into its odyssey across the sky, Sue had dressed and was observing the horses in the pen. The hunters had not left this day, and after the departure of her parents, Sue understood that this day was not ordinary. The horses were also cognizant of this fact, they were restless and frolicked in their captivity, tossing their heads, their wild manes flaring in the icy wind. Each hoof that beat against the stone-cold ground sounded like a drumbeat so far away.

There was a youth in the fenced area, he was tending to a wound on a horse. He was a few years her senior, but he had the expressionless mask adopted by most of the men in the tribe. Wry strands of hair fell from under the green bandana covering his head, falling into his narrow eyes. There was a quiver strapped to his shoulder full of arrows. The smoothness of their shafts was a sure sign of their new condition. It was a proud mark for any warrior, and this was no exception.

Sue had recognized him immediately, and continued to survey his work. He sat below the injured horse's flank, cleaning something that was caught on the horseshoe of the hoof. The slender legs of the beast was swollen around the joint, but the stallion was calm as the boy administered treatment on it.

"Good day, Shin," Sue greeted, jumping from the fence, placing one foot on the ground in a neat land. She held her cloak together and squinted in the ivory light. The white sun drifted through the thin clouds, leaving a clear, grayish atmosphere.

"Good day, Lady," Shin replied without looking up at her. He cut a part of a woven bandage with a dagger and pressed his dark hands in the oily balm. Sue walked to the horse and touched his forehead, rubbing her thumb between the ears. The young Kutolah finished by wrapping the thick bandage around the joint carefully, tying it tight. Then standing nimbly, he pat the horse valiantly on the back, his cloak brushing against the shining pelt.

As Shin stepped back, the horse turned and limped back to join the others.

"He twisted his leg from a fall during the hunt," the boy explained, crossing his arms.

"How was the it?" Sue asked eagerly, glancing at him. For a moment their eyes matched, and despite his stoic expression, she saw that his eyes shined with excitement as he relayed the experience of his first hunt.

"The herd was swift, but our horses overtook them. There was a buck in the group that reared against us, but Lord Rath released a shot that flew between his eyes," Shin said, and Sue nodded. Her father was one of the best marksmen, he was most likely second only to the Silver Wolf himself. At the mention of her father, Shin glanced meaninglessly at the ground. "I heard that Lord Rath and Lady Lyn left camp this morning to locate the herd."

Sue bunched the folds of her cloak, her eyes distant.

"The herd..."

Her hair rippled cautiously in the breeze, the dark green of its sheen contrasted strangely with her pale skin. She turned her head away, letting her hair fall away from her face as she faced the wind, her arms spread. The wind trailed between her fingers in a crisp current, and as she turned back to her friend, an arcane expression drawn on her features.

"It will snow today," she declared to him, curling her fingers into her palm.

* * *

The snow was thick when the two scouts returned from their expedition. The sun glazed its last pallid rays across the silver sky, unhindered by the white-laced curtains. Sue watched them from a distance inside the warm ger, her hand on the cloth that fell over the door.

Many of the important tribesmen were gathered in her grandfather's home, sheltered from the ice and wind outside. A small fire crackled in a friendly manner, casting an amber radiance. The Silver Wolf himself sat before the fire, and his eyes watched the melting flames. He was a broad-shouldered man, a strong-built leader with a hard face. On the wall behind him, a wolf hide was mounted so the head faced the ceiling. The eyes were dark holes that appeared to be all-seeing.

Sue held open the door, the snow nicking at her fingertips. Rath gave her a knowing glance as he passed her, and Lyn touched her daughter's shoulder gently. Upon the arrival of the two newcomers, the meeting commenced. Sue sat beside her mother, watching silently.

"The winter has been harsh," Chief Dayan said, and he kept a steady eye contact with his son. Rath returned the look with an apathetic expression. "and the herds have fled. We of the Kutolah tribe have been blessed for years with plenty, but this year, the gods are testing us."

The entire room was in complete silence. There was a short pause.

"Tell me," the Silver Wolf continued. "what news do you bring?"

Rath turned his head slightly towards Lyn, and gave his report.

"The herd has traveled far. They are away to the eastern plains, and their prints are not fresh. They fled long ago, and the trail suggests a five day ride ahead of us." There was a despondence that immediately filled the room as soon as the words left her father's mouth. The Chieftain was pensive through the soft murmuring, and appeared to be unperturbed by the news. Sue confirmed at last the anxiety of the tribe. Through her eyes she had noticed the unsettling angst of the warriors. But the truth was known; this winter was colder than the usual, and it had forced their food supply to seek warmer land.

Dayan silenced the people of the Kutolah tribe, and spoke in a level tone.

"We are the nomadic people of the Sacae," He said casually. "If we must pursue the herd, then we will. Our ancestors have done it before our forefathers, so shall we do it as did they."

"My lord," Sue's mother said, her brow creased. "may I be permitted to speak?"

"You may, Lady Lyndis."

"The ride will be arduous for all of us," Lyn began, her palms on her thighs. "Even for the two of us, the flight proved troublesome. We do not have enough horses for all of the tribe to ride, and to reach the herd by foot will take a moon. Many will perish in the journey. Is there not be another alternative?"

The Silver Wolf was silent and contemplated her words. Sue knew that her grandfather was a careful leader and always put the well being of the tribe over all priorities. But there was truth in Lyn's words, for the Kutolah clan was large and housed many children who would have difficulty making this quest. The lands of Sacae proved to be difficult to tame, unpredictable and untouched by western thought.

Lady Lyndis was in faint distress, her eyebrows contorted so her lovely face was cheerless. Sue was her only child and had experienced little hardship because of her important position in the tribe. As for her father, it was impossible to see Rath's stance in the dilemma. Though the other important political figures of the Kutolah had voiced their opinions, his was yet unknown. Lyn lowered her gaze, waiting patiently for the answer that would determine their next move.

Finally Dayan stood up, and turned his head away from the circle. All eyes watched him with full esteem, their itching ears straining for his words. For a moment the Chieftain caught his granddaughter's eyes, and she knew that there was exhaustion there, hidden under the stare of leadership. Wordlessly he directed his gaze upon wolf skin that hung on his wall, and this single gesture somehow alleviated the tension and fear in the room.

"We will prepare to leave," He proclaimed, more to the pelt than the people. "and as our fathers, we will not fail."

* * *

Rath stayed with his father in meeting for the remainder of the night. Lyn and Sue returned to their quarters late when the sky was black, with nothing to say to each other. Sue knew that her mother was very tired, and although her face didn't show it, the aura about her did. There had been little adversity to the Silver Wolf's decision, for the tribe had learned to trust their leader through the difficult times. No challenge had come to his authority in years.

"The only significant mistake the Chief thinks he had made was when he sent Lord Rath away when he was four," Shin told Sue once. But even that choice may not have been a mistake but a decision guided by the gods. If Sue's father had not been sent away from the Kutolah, chances were slim that he would have met Lady Lyndis on her journey.

Sue glanced at her mother from the corner of her eyes, rehearsing her parents' story in her head once more. Lyn had given up her half-Lycian heritage to live on the plains where she had been born. Her tribe was devastated and both of her parents perished on the night of attack. Rath was the son of the famous Silver Wolf. Prophecy placed responsibility upon him when he was but four years old, foretelling of a time when he would save the Sacae from danger. Her parents met in Araphen when Rath was serving as the Marquess' Head Captain, and he would aid Lyn for the rest of her journey to reclaim her Grandfather's place. Sue loved listening to the stories of her parents, and of the parents before them.

"When your great grandfather passed, I had no will to succeed him. The Lycians would never fully accept a half-Sacaen Marquise, so I gave my inheritance to one of my dearest friends." Such was the tale of Lyndis of Caelin. "My heart always belonged to the plains, it is said that those who are called children of the Sacae will always ache for their birthplace, the place where Mother Earth called them home. When my father left his tribe, all of the Lorca knew he would return, but as the Chieftain. They were so surprised when he brought home a bride..."

"I had a teacher who taught me ways of the bow, long ago," Rath told his daughter as he directed her in the ways of archery. As he placed his experienced hands over hers on the bow, sometimes - though very rarely - he would tell her his own history. "She was appointed to watch over me, she taught me the lore of the Sacae and how to use the bow. The last I saw of her was before I left the tribe. Word says that years after my departure, she disappeared. Nobody knows what had happened to her." Hours after Sue had listened to this, she learned that this teacher was none other than the mother of Shin, who had disappeared when he was but an infant.

Telling tales by mouth was only part of the culture of the Kutolah. The Sacae was rich with legends. It seemed to Sue that the best way to keep her mind off of the troubles of the wandering herd was to tell herself the stories she had heard. It was a distraction that kept her quiet and reflective.

Sue lay down on the furs of the ger, her hair pouring across the ground. Lyn affectionately stroked her daughter's head, letting the snow that clung in the strands melt on her fingertips.

"Are you tired?" Lyn asked quietly. Sue closed her eyes, letting the heat from the fire blow against her eyelids.

"My head hurts so," the girl replied, fingering the end of her cloak. Lyn started, and touched the child's brow. After a short pause, Sue felt her mother withdraw her hand cautiously. Without another mention of her throbbing head, Sue turned to the side and opened her eyes.

"When will father come?"

"He is very busy, Sue. But he will come soon."

The mourning cry of a wolf suddenly pierced the howling winds, it sounded muffled through the walls. It sounded distorted as the winds gradually overtook the cry, battering snow and ice against the walls. Lyn raised her chin at the sound, and then lowered it subtly.

"The wolves are abandoning these hills. They will pursue the herd as we will," Lyn said, almost sadly. Sue lowered her eyes and listened to a replying howl far away. The mother quietly hummed an unknown tune and stroked the girl's hair, brushing fingers into the soft locks.

"Our ancestors come with us?" Sue murmured quietly.

"Our ancestors..." the woman trailed, and touched the cloth of the wall beside her. Small stitches resembling beasts of the plain danced across the wool, moving with the waves of the fire, taunting her fingers. Lyndis lifted her arms to touch the top of the tapestry, where yellow layers of thread depicted a warm sun where it touched the earth.

"Our ancestors were the wolves," Lyn began, telling the tale. "They were ferocious and noble creatures in the lands of Sacae, they honored Mother Earth with their steps and sang with Father Sky during the night. They worked as a pack, always watching and hunting together."

"Then darkness filled Sacae..." Sue murmured, then trailed off, waiting for her to continue the story. Lyn fingered the rough tapestry, feeling each individual stitch.

"The sun refused to shine as the evil of darkness overcame it. The wolves had honored their mother and loved her more than the Sky, and it aroused anger. Father Sky in his indignant jealousy of the beauty in which Mother Earth clothed the Sacae tempted the lands, to cover the plains with his dark clouds. It rained for seven years, drowning the Sacae in darkness and water and blood.

"The wolves cried aloud for Mother Earth in the high places. As their young ones drowned in the flood, the Mother wept for the loyalty of the pack, but could do nothing for her tears would tempt the Sky's clouds. But there was one she-wolf, the silver wolf who rose up in rebellion against the sky. The others scowled and laughed, for who could fight against the heavens?"

Lyndis stopped suddenly, and touched the girl's head, feeling the warmth spread across her hands. She peered to the door, watching the cloth fight against the storm.

"The tale must wait. I had almost forgotten how late it has become. You must rest, we will pack tomorrow."

"I want to hear the legend," Sue protested, her voice a whisper.

"You have already heard it before," Lyn answered, tilting her head slightly. A smile touched her lips as she gestured to the furs where they slept. "I will tell the rest to you later. Enough of tales, for tonight."

As the two began to prepare for bed, Sue lay down again on the hides and stared up, something like fear shining in her eyes.

"Is Father Sky angry at us, mother?" she asked so softly, her eyelashes fluttering with the occasional draft. "Is that why it snows so much?"

Lyn paused and looked despondently at the girl's clandestine manner, her face impassive.

"No, Sue. This is a trial that we must overcome."


End file.
